xeranthemum
by Random LOLOL
Summary: Sakura," His voice cracked, "you know that I hate flowers, especially ones that...have to do with me." Her smile was bittersweet but she didn't say anything -- she didn't have to.


With her lip and knees trembling ferociously, tears threatening to fall, Sakura scanned the horizon briskly yet warily, searching every nook and cranny for a sign of where he was.

She strained her ears to catch his voice.

She sniffed the air for his familiar cinnamon scent.

She searched for anything that would lead her to him: his mop of silver, gravity-defying hair, the sound of chirping birds -- hell, even his _Icha Icha Paradise _would give her some hope -- anything _AT ALL_ would help her come to her senses.

And as if the Gods have given her an answer, the sound of chirping birds softly rang in her ears, _"Chidori!" _

She let out a breath she had been unconsciously holding in and took off, her mind and heart racing. But she knew something was not right.

That wasn't his voice.

The Kakashi she knew didn't have such a low, gravely voice -- his voice was smooth, comforting, music to her ears --

But she had no other choice; Inner Sakura was screaming for her to go. And that was when a grave realization came upon her:

_Sasuke and Kakashi were the only ones that knew Chidori. _

Sasuke was back in the main hall of the lair, fending off the Sound ninja with Naruto, and the voice she had heard was definitely _not _Kakashi's --

She reached one of the hallways where the walls were crumbled and demolished, revealing a man with fiery-red hair, charging, his Chidori chirping loudly, at a familiar _silver-haired boy _--

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!!" Her feet moved on it's own, sprinting towards her teacher. Her jade eyes widened in fear and panic, the tears flowing, the blue ribbon he bought her falling out of her hair.

"Sakura! Don't!"

She knew she had arrived too late -- his fate was already sealed...

**SPLAT!**

And so was hers.

The taller gruff man's chocolate eyes widened, the Chidori striking her stomach gruesomely. She hacked up blood and shot him a weak glare, trying her best to ignore the pain. Her arms were out-stretched in a make-shift shield for the probably gaping boy behind her.

She always thought her life would end quickly and painlessly, and that she'd be happy in the end.

_But no. _

Her death wasn't going to be painless and let's face it; this is reality. There were no happy endings when you were a ninja.

At that moment, the world became silent -- there were no anguished screams, no weapons clashing, no battle cries -- not even the desperate cries of the 13-year-old behind her. For the first time after many days, a smile broke across her paler-than-usual features, small, yet genuine, happy that at least the one she loved would live to see another day. At the same time, back in Konoha at the isolated Hatake compound, the xeranthemum flower buds bloomed peacefully, it's beautiful purple color standing out in the gray, dusty window sill of Kakashi's room.

_Everything...turned out alright...afterall, _she thought to herself as her sight began to blacken, legs finally giving in and buckling beneath her.

"S...SAKURA!!!"

* * *

Oiiii!!! Sorry, but I've been having writer's block for my other stories and I just don't know what to do with them. But don't give up, my friends! I'll try to get my brain working again and find some inspiration for the rest of my stories. And while I was doing that, this idea seemed interesting to me. Well, the Young!Kakashi/Sakura stories usually have Sakura getting mysteriously thrown into he past and catching his attention (not that I don't like it; I ADORE those kinds of stories, ya know :D) and I was thinking of ways for her to fit into past before Kakashi got the Sharingan;

And then it hit me like lightning, and I was like, "Why doesn't the Sharingan have side effects?"

And so that was my inspiration for this story.

Oh, and xeranthemum is a flower, which is a symbol for "Eternity and Immortality."

Oops! That was a hint for Kakashi's strange...condition. Anyone who guesses it gets a triple chocolte chip cookeh! And I was wondering...should there be some side couples? Like a triangle? Since Kakashi/Sakura was the main couple, sould Kakashi have some competion? THEN VOTE! The poll will be on my profile and will continue until the fourth chapter whichIdon' so VOTE!

You and I both know that I don't own Naruto. If I did, I'd be sued and in jail.


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